Three Hearts
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: Set in the Connor/Abby/Eye!Patch!Connor universe, this is just a lovely bit of fluff to brighten your day.


**This tale is a continuation of my fic "Frozen", which was a continuation Iellix's brilliant tale "Triptych", which is a continuation of my own story "Cloudy With A Chance Of Connors". This is pure fluff. Just cuddly, yummy, happy fic with just a dash of angst to season it. Iellix gave me a prompt and this is what I came up with. **

Three Hearts  
2010 Evenstar Estel

If there was one thing Abby knew in life, it was how to make her Connors happy. Like with most men, lots of food and sex were always in order. Abby certainly had no qualms about that, rarely was there a day that didn't included several lovely orgasms for her. Food was perfunctory, but the dopey happiness that infused the men when they were full of ale and pizza or curry made her smile. They were always very cuddly when their bellies were full. She'd been planning this night for weeks now. She'd been dropping subtle hints along the way, remarking how wonderful the past year at been at home in the flat the three of them shared; how the day that Eye Patch had arrived through the anomaly had been such a pivotal moment in all their lives; how happy she was to have two beautiful strong men in her life who loved her every bit as much as she loved them. Abby had never stayed with any boyfriend long enough to have a real anniversary. Men had always been a transient aspect of her life, starting when her father left when she was a child. She hadn't known much of her father and the example he mother always gave were that men were nothing but leeches. Abby wished wholeheartedly that her estranged family could understand even though her relationship was unorthodox, it was full of love.

She shook her head and returned to the task at hand. She paid the delivery men, who'd unpacked her purchase for her and moved it to the best spot in the flat. Tomorrow was a Saturday and exactly one year since the alternate Connor Temple with a mess of angst and an eye patch had arrived in their world and changed hers and Connor's lives forever and for the better. She knew this surprise was completely over the top and had cost her a fortune, but the moment she'd seen it in the shop she knew she had to get it for her boys. There was no doubt in her mind that they'd love it and in turn love her all the more for it.

She'd managed to leave the ARC early enough that she could meet the delivery men as well as cook the Connors a nice dinner. By _nice dinner_ she intended to put a pre-made frozen pizza in the oven. She rarely screwed those up. Even though their anniversary was tomorrow, the delivery couldn't be made on a weekend so their present would have to be given today. She had other plans for Saturday, which to Abby's mind included her being the filling in a Connor sandwich, or rather being _filled._ Before making her way to the kitchen she plugged in the machine and the flat erupted in lights and sound. She winced and hoped it had an off switch.

Thirty minutes later Abby could hear Eva's barks from street as the men returned home. Things had slowed down for the time being and the guys had spent the afternoon involved in weapons training. Connor was getting to be an excellent shot, more for his own protection than the likelihood he'd ever be called to use it in an offensive in the field. Eye Patch would be ahead of him in every instance, always putting himself in danger in defense of the lives of his lovers. That was one small thorn upon the rose of their polyamourous romance. Each of them hated it when the others were in any sort of danger, but sadly it was the way of things. At any rate, everyone was fine for today and would be for tomorrow. Abby popped the pizza into the over and went to welcome the Connors home. As was usual Eva got to the top of the stairs first. She rumbled at Abby and nudged her thigh with her head before carrying on to the dish of food and kibble Abby had put down for her. The dog got to it just in time to prevent Sid from burying his snout in it.

Abby waited at the top of the stairs with a huge grin on her face.

"You left early, love," stated Connor as he reached the top of the stairs and bestowed a kiss upon her cheek as he gave her a brief hug around her waist before continuing on past her.

"Had something important to take care of," she replied, reaching for the other Connor as he made it to the landing. He sort of grunted as he grabbed her bottom and pressed and open mouth kiss to the side of her neck. She never got tired of his possessive ways and made a kittenish sound of pleasure. He released her and followed after Connor. Abby turned around and smiled at what she saw. Just as she expected, they were gobsmacked, standing motionless with their jaws dropped. "So, I take you like it?" Abby asked coyly.

"I bloody love you!" exclaimed Eye Patch, advancing on his prize.

"Hey! Not so fast!" said Connor. "I want to go first."

"Okay, d'you wanna flip a coin over who gets to go first or shall we just fight it out like proper Alpha-males?"

"If we waste time fighting it'll mean less time for playing. Besides, I bruise easy. I will give you a blowjob before breakfast for the next week."

"Tempting... but I could probably get 'em out of you regardless." Connor huffed.

"And I'll bottom for the next three times we have sex!"

"Deal!" With a short cry of victory Connor rushed forward. He beheld the limited addition vintage Star Wars Original Trilogy pinball machine in all its magnificent glory. He stood there as if he was before a holy relic of some sort. Eye Patch came up behind him, putting his hands on his counterpart's shoulders. "Magnificent isn't it? Go on... give it a pull." Connor glided his hand across the console and over down to the lever that was shaped just like the thruster on the Millennium Falcon. The board erupted in sounds and lights with characters from the movie spouting quotes. Abby watched as the pair of them seemed to slip into some sort of trance. They were lost to her for now so she returned to the kitchen, smiling to herself. She got out the plates for dinner and set the table and retrieved three beers from the fridge. When the oven dinged she got the pizza, pleased that for once she hadn't burned it.

"Guys! Dinner!" she called. After a few minutes she summoned them again, but to no avail. She returned to the living room and saw them completely engrossed in the pinball machine. She approached and watched for a few minutes as Connor deftly shot the little silver ball around the board. "Dinner's ready."

"Give us five minutes, love, we'll be right with you," said Connor. The other Connor gave her a peck on the cheek and then bodily moved her out of his line of sight. Feeling rather cast aside, Abby pouted and went back to the table. After five minutes and still no Connors, Abby sighed and ate her dinner alone. She divided the remaining pizza on to the two plates she'd put out for her boys and placed them on top of the oven before clearing away the table and putting their unopened beers back in the fridge. She was a little hurt that they hadn't joined her, but on the other hand it was nice to know her gift was well appreciated. She kept her distance, content with watching them. When Connor was finally out of plays he was ecstatic with his high score he moved aside for Eye Patch to have his turn. As his double began his game, Connor got on the phone and that's when Abby's heart sunk. He called Danny and Becker to begin with, then a few of the other soldiers that 'Drake' was friends with, inviting them all over to the flat tomorrow for a Star Wars Pinball Tournament and an evening of pizza and beers.

Abby felt the tears well up in her eyes. They hadn't a clue of how important the date tomorrow was or how much she'd been looking forward to celebrating with them. She supposed it was the typical guy thing to not remember important dates, but as much as they were enjoying the extravagant gift she'd got them she thought they would've at the least cast a thought as to why she'd given it. She felt a pain in her heart and shivered. She had to get out of the flat. The last thing she wanted was for them to see her upset and only pay attention to her out of guilt. She quickly found her purse and keys and left. The Connors didn't even notice her departure.

It wasn't until ten o'clock at night that hunger over came the need to keep playing. They'd been at it for over four hours, it reminded them of their teenage when they used to play Magic: The Gathering and lost all track of time. They went to the kitchen and Connor got a frozen pizza out of the freezer while Eye Patch grabbed a couple of beers. Connor turned to the oven and stopped. There were two plates with three large slices of pizza each on them. He paused for a moment and thought.

"Um, Conn? Where's Abby?" he asked. The other Connor stopped just as he was about to open his bottle of beer.

"Uh... dunno. Maybe she went to bed?" The pair hurried to the bedroom, but found no sign of her. Connor jetted upstairs to the loft to check while Eye Patch searched the rest of the flat. "Her keys and purse are gone, so's the car!" Connor came down the stairs, a puzzled look on his face.

"Why didn't she tell us she was going out?"

"Dunno, maybe she didn't want to bother us? Call her cell phone, eh? This is a bit strange. It's not like her." Connor quickly retrieved his phone and hit send, her number was usually the last one he'd called. It rang eight times before going to voicemail. He swore under his breath and dialed again with the same result. He didn't want to worry, but he couldn't help it.

"She's not answering." He shared a worried look with Eye Patch and they both went for Connor's laptop. Abby had a smartphone and therefor they could trace her location. Connor knew her password for her account and logged in, immediately honing in on her location. A few seconds later he pinpointed her and breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like she's at Sarah's flat." Connor immediately found Sarah's home number in his phone and called it.

"If I don't answer it they'll likely just come over to get you," said Sarah on the couch next to Abby. They were almost down to the bottom of the bottle of wine and Abby had stopped crying. She'd shown up a few hours ago and needed some serious girl talk.

"Can I come in?" she'd asked, wiping the tears from here eyes. Sarah had just been settling in for a night of wine and a good book, but upon seeing her upset friend gracing her doorstep she knew that those plans had just flown out the window. She didn't mind though, she considered Abby one of her closest girlfriends. True, they didn't spend much time together outside of work, but they could still depend on each other for _girl stuff._

"Of course!" said Sarah ushering the young blond inside. "What's happened? Are Connor and Drake alright?" Abby nodded and sniffled.

"It's just that tomorrow is so important and they don't even realize it!" Abby exclaimed. "I don't understand how they couldn't care! There's... there's just parts of their lives that I just don't fit into! "

"Now I'm sure that's not true. Abby, they love you. Why don't you sit, I'll get you a glass of wine. We'll have some girl talk, you can vent all you like." Over the course of the next three hours she and Abby talked endlessly about her life with her Connors leading up to this evening's events. It was more or less common knowledge that the three were lovers. Most people were smart enough to figure out that Drake Church was an alternate version of Connor. There'd been enough evidence of the unusual relationship that no one blinked an eye anymore. Everyone had heard about the 'incident' in Lester's office between Connor and Drake, and the one with Abby and Drake in the women's showers. Sarah had always been curious about Abby's relationship, and once Abby got a couple of glasses of wine in her, her tongue loosened. Abby revealed all the bedroom secrets Sarah had been dying to know about, but over all the impression the archaeologist got in the end was that the three of them shared a genuine love. Sarah understood what Abby had been so upset that the guys were oblivious about their one year anniversary. Abby admitted that she didn't often do _the girl thing_, but every once and a while she like to remind herself that she was a woman who deserved romance. The boys loved her and showered her with affection, but it didn't really ever leave the flat. She knew full well and accepted that a romantic dinner out wouldn't exactly work with three, but just a picnic would've been nice! With all the work they did with the ARC and the anomalies there wasn't much time at the end of the day to really do anything besides dinner and a little love making before they went to sleep. The anniversary was out of the ordinary! It was something monumental and special! Abby just wished her boyfriends thought the same way she did.

When Abby's mobile started ringing and she saw that it was Connor who was calling, she ignored it. She was hurt, confused and a little drunk and the last thing she wanted to deal with was the fallout. When Sarah's home phone started ringing she knew she couldn't hide anymore.

"Okay, you can answer it, but I don't want to talk to them. I'll just can't deal right now," said Abby. "Can I stay on your couch?"

"Of course," replied Sarah as she reached for the phone. "It'll serve them right for being so obtuse." Sarah put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Sarah, it's Connor. Is Abby there?" asked Connor, with Eye Patch glued to his side, listening in.

"She's here."

"Can I talk to her?"

"No, you can't right now. She's sleeping." Sarah winced at the lie, but it let Abby off the hook.

"Alright... um, well I'll catch a cab and come drive her home."

"She's settled Connor, let her be. You can do without her for a night."

"Sarah, is something wrong with Abby?"

"Other than the fact that it took four hours for you to notice that she'd even left?" Connor was a bit taken a back. Sarah had never exhibited any hostility in any way to him before, but something in her voice told him she was really annoyed.

"Sarah... what's going on? Is Abby upset?"

"Look at the calendar you idiot!" With that Sarah hung up on him. Abby was silent and sad. Sarah rose and retrieved a blanket and pillow for Abby. There wasn't much more conversation after the phone call from Connor and Abby fell asleep alone for the first time in a year, missing her Connors.

Back at the flat, Eye Patch and Connor were stunned. There stared at each other, completely confused and dumbfounded. Eye Patch turned and went to the wall near the kitchen where the calendar hung. There was nothing remarkable about it except for tomorrow's date upon which Abby had drawn three hearts and written "1 year".

"Oh fuck no! Oh we're complete bastards!" Eye Patch groaned.

"What? What is it?" asked Connor. He looked at the calendar and didn't quite understand.

"Conn, it's been one year since I came through the anomaly. It's _our anniversary._" The gravity of the situation set in.

"Oh god. We're scum. We're complete and utter scum!"

"Anniversaries, they're really important to women, aren't they?"

"Uh... yeah. She must think... god, what must she think?"

"That we're selfish pricks that care more about a pinball machine..."

"Fuck! The pinball machine! It's our anniversary present from her!" Both men groaned, feeling a massive wave of guilt and shame wash over them. "We didn't get her anything! We didn't even remember the bloody date!" The two volleyed regrets and admonishments back at each other for the next hour and when they found themselves finally in bed for the night it felt massive and empty without Abby in the middle.

"I don't like this.. this.. This" Connor stammered, looking across the distance at his counterpart.

"Lack of Abby."

"Exactly! It's horrible!"

"It's more than horrible! I feel like I'm missing my arm or something."

"Like a part of your soul's been torn out."

"Just like that, yeah. We have to fix this."

"Yeah, but how?" Connor whined and rolled over, staring to close the distance between the two of them. Eye Patch crept close too, so that both their heads were on Abby's pillow.

"We can't just go out and buy her a present, that'll seem to obvious and just... _cheap_. We need to do something significant. Something _really_ special. Something she'll never forget."

"We have to convince her we're not just a couple of yobs that care more about a pinball machine than our girlfriend."

"Girlfriend! That's the problem right there. I think I've got a solution."

It wasn't until nearly noon that Abby awoke on Sarah's couch. The inside of her mouth tasted like spoiled fruit and her head hurt. She wasn't usually a wine drinker and now she was remembering why. She could smell coffee and opened her eyes to see a steaming cup in front of her on the coffee table along with a note.

_Hi Abby,_

_I hope you slept well. I've gone to my pilates class, so make yourself at home. I'll be back in a couple of hours if you want to stay._

_Sarah_

Abby groaned and sat up, reaching for the coffee and taking a drink. It was cool enough that she didn't burn her tongue and she took most of it down in less than a minute. She used the bathroom and thoroughly rinsed her mouth with mouthwash before gathering up her purse and left Sarah a note thanking her for being a friend and for giving her a place to stay. Abby dreaded returning to the flat, half expecting to walk into the middle of a pinball tournament. She desperately wanted a nice hot shower by herself to clear her head. The whole drive home she thought about what she was going to say to the Connors. She didn't want to make them feel bad for her behavior. They hadn't meant her any harm whatsoever. They'd clearly loved her gift to them and she wouldn't take that back for anything in the world. Fundamentally she knew she was deeply deeply loved and cherished by them and that wanting to romantically celebrate their first anniversary was superficial in comparison to that. She'd suck it up and apologize for running out without a word and she'd put on a brave face and put her disappointment aside. She'd even offer to make sandwiches for their guests. Maybe after the sting of not getting the romantic day and evening she'd hoped for had dulled, she'd ask them if maybe they wanted to go away together one weekend. Maybe to Paris? Or somewhere quaint in Wales? She was an adult and a very adult relationship and she wouldn't let hurt feelings do them any damage. She regretted running off, but it was too late for that now. She'd face them like an adult and smooth things over.

It was close to one o'clock when she arrived back at the flat. She was surprised to find it silent. She'd feel really bad if they'd canceled their plans on account of her. She sighed and ascended the stairs. They were of course waiting for her, standing there on the landing, looking sad and nervous. Connor stepped forward to speak, but Abby held her hands up.

"If it's okay, I'd like to say something first," she said. "And after I really just want a hot shower and some aspirin."

"Go.. go ahead, Abby," said Connor, casting a furtive glance at Eye Patch.

"I apologize for leaving like I did. It was childish. I admit I was hurt, but I've thought about it and I overreacted. I know how much you both love me and every day we're together it's a blessing. I sure you know by now why I got you the pinball machine and of course I expected you to play it and have fun and I'm not upset about that. I realize that we're different people and we want different things at different times and for the most part we can balance and compromise and frankly we do a pretty good job of it. We're in this for the long haul and this was just a little hiccup along the road... so... so yeah. I'm gonna have my shower now." She darted away quickly and into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She locked it too, wanting the time alone to get her emotions in order. She stripped and got into the shower, letting the hot spray calm and cleanse her. She was determined to emerge aligned once more and spend a nice afternoon with her guys.

She wrapped the towel around her, brushed out her hair and exited the bathroom, heading towards the bedroom. They were seated side by side on the bed and for the first time in a long time she noticed how sometimes they looked every bit like twins. One of course was quite altered - covered in scars and blind in one eye, but the shape of their lips was the same as was the line of their jaws and the set of their shoulders. The were watching her and she gave them a doleful smile. She turned her back to them briefly and went into her drawers to fish out her dark gray jersey dress, perfect for a lazy day at home. She didn't bother with underwear or a bra, because secretly she hope things would turn in her favour anyways and they'd end up in bed for the remainder of the day. She pulled on the garment and cast off the towel, hanging it on the bedframe. She turned to face them and climbed on to the bed.

"Abby..." they both said in unison. It made Abby smile. "We're really sorry." Abby laughed out loud.

"Sharing a hive mind are you now?" she giggled. She'd watched enough Star Trek by now to make the joke. The Connors smiled reached for her, pulling her into their arms, squeezing her tightly.

"We're so sorry, love," said Connor. "We're complete idiots! We just didn't realize how important today was."

"It's okay, honestly."

"No, love," said Eye Patch. "It's not okay. Today's important." They pulled away from her and they sat in a circle, each Connor taking one of her hands in their own. "A year ago I was about to die and instead I woke up in the hospital to your beautiful face. You brought me home with you and my life started again. That was the most important day of my life. It deserves to be celebrated. I _am_ capable of being romantic, you know?"

"See, Abby," continued Connor. "We do take you for granted, especially lately. We don't stop and think about how lucky we are to have you because we know you'll always want to be here."

"But one thing I've learned is that you can't count on the universe always letting you keep what you cherish most..." He cleared his throat and the other two understood he was thinking about his first Abby. "So, so you have to make sure to appreciate what you've got when you've got it."

"We were talking last night. We missed you. This place felt so empty without you here."

"It was horrible!"

"It really was. So, for today we want to spend it with you, no distractions, just the three of us and we have something for you... for us, really." Connor reached under the pillow and brought out a small velvet box, opening it and presenting it to her. There were three simple platinum bands inside. One was smaller than the other two and Abby understood.

"We know we can't legally get married in a way that includes all three of us," began Eye Patch, taking up the smaller ring and slipping it on her finger. "Buy Abby, we want you to know..."

"That if we could," continued Connor, taking up one ring and slipping it over Eye Patch's finger before handing the last one to Abby. "We'd be your husbands... if you you'd have us." Abby smiled through fresh tears and put the last ring on Connor's finger. "Can we take that as a yes?"

"You didn't ask me a question," teased Abby.

"Will you marry us, you silly bint?" laughed Eye Patch.

"Yes, yes of course I will. I love you both, so much." They both went for her at once and the three wrestled until Abby was beneath them and both men were at her neck, kissing her and making her giggle. Her laughter soon turned to gasps and moans as her dressed was pulled up and there were four hands kneading and intimately caressing her flesh. Several hours later, when their bodies were completely exhausted and sated, Abby watched her Connors sleeping. She admired the bands of platinum that adorned their fingers, comparing it to her own. Grimly, her thoughts turned to her mother and her family and what they thought of her. In their eyes she was a whore and no matter what, that would always be a wound to her. But in reality it didn't matter. She had a new family with her two Connors and they loved her and cherished her enough to marry her. It didn't matter that it wasn't technically legal, especially in this day and age. The commitment was what counted and that was solid. She closed her eyes and settled down between them. A smile spread across her face when they instinctually turned into her, seeking out the heat of her body. Wrapped up in their little cocoon of love and warmth Abby drifted off to sleep.

The End


End file.
